Track switch for railroads



July 20, 1943. R.- w. HEwEs I 2,324,622

' TRACK SWITCHFOR RAILROADS Filed Jan 2 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 1,

INVENTOR 3.20. mow BY July 20, 1943. R. w. HEWES TRACK SWITCH FORRAILROADS Filed-Jan. 29, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 20, 1943General Railway Signal C rnpany,Rches ter,

OFFICE Application January 29, 1942, Serial No. 428,733 1 Claim. (01.246.449)

- The present inventionrelates tc track switches for railroads and moreparticularly to anti-frictional supporting means for the movable switchpoints of such track switches.

When two tracks are to converge into a single track of a railway systemthe right-hand rail of one of the two converging tracks and the lefthandrail of the other of the two converging tracks are made continuous,whereas the; left hand rail of such one track and the right-hand rail ofsuch other track terminate in pointed rails called switch points, Theseswitch points are iias tened to each other and are spaced a distanceapart a little less than the normal spread between rails so thatmovement of these points to an extent to allow the flanges of the carwheels to pass between the switch points and their respective adjacentrails is possible at one side when the switch points assume one positionand is possible at the other side when the switch points assume theother position. The rails which terminate into theseswitch points aremovable for a considerable distance back from their pointed ends asthese points are moved from one extreme position to the other. The pointat which no movement of the switch point takes place is calledthehel andconstitutes a joint between it and the next rail to afford pivotedmovement These switch points of course rest on tie-plates secured to thetop of the ties from which it is apparent that the friction between themovable switchpoints and the tie-plates would, without the use of thepresent invention, be considerable. Also, it is necessary to'have theseswitch points rest on the tieplates when a train passes thereover andfor this reason roller supporting of the switch points if used must besuch that the weight of the passing train will not rest on such rollers.

In View of the foregoing and other considerations itis proposed inaccordance with the present invention to connect the switch pointstogether bya strong and rigid tie-beam and to provide a roller supportnear the mid-point of such beam so that during operation of the switchpoints from one position to the other such roller will serveas apivotalsupport to support both of the switch points; whereas upon movement of atrainover the switch points since the train will only ride over one. ofthe switch points, the particular switch point upon which the trainrides willbe depressed to a position where itrests entirely upon thetierplates and ties and without materially increasing the load upon suchroller 1 9 h th r swi c oi w l be new Otherobje'cts, purposes andcharacteristic features of the present invention will appearfrom thefollowing specification when consideredmin the light of with theaccompanyingdrawings in which? Fig. 1 illustrates a railway trackswitch. to

which the present invention has been shown applied.

Fig. 2 shows an enlargement plan view of the tie-beam and roller supportconstituting part of the present invention.

Fig.3 shows an enlarged side elevation taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1when viewed in. the direction of thearrows and with the switchlpointsassuming the opposite position;

Fig. 4shows an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, taken on thelin e4-4 of Fig. 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrows; and- Fig. 5is a partial longitudinal sectiohalwelevation taken on the line5-5 ofFig. 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrows with the switch assuming theopposite position.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings the track rails l2 and 3-4constitute the rails of two converging tracks which converge. into thetracl: constituting track rails5 and- 6. It will be seen that the railsl5 and 4-6 are continuousand are firmly fixed to the ties l0, whereasthe-track rails 2 and 3 constitute movable rails terminating in switchpoints. To the top of the ties i0 are fastened tie-plates l-I upon whichthe rails t, 2 3, 4, 5 andG rest. The switch points 2=and-3,;however,slidably rest on riser-plates. i2; (see Figs. 1 and 3)- which lie on topof the tie-plates I! and are of varying thicknesses as shown in Fig. -5.It will be seen from Fig. 3 that these riser-plates l2 serve to build upthe tie-plates to a thickness permitting the switch points 2 or 3,depending on the position assumed by the switch-,itb ride-upon theflanges I and 4 of the as'seciated trackrail's I and 4, respectively, asthe case may be. If de} sired asingle stepped plate may be used insteadof the two plates ll-l2 shown. In order to obtain perfectly flatsurfaces and to re-enforce the switch points the webs 3 and -2 of-theseswitch points 3 and 2, respectively, are built up by reenforcing bars 33 and 2 2 respectively. These re-enforcing bars extend almost the fulldistance from the ends of the switch pointstm ward the heels (the pointwhere the switch points are securely fastened to the ties? thereof.

In order to firmlyhold the switch points 2 and 3 in propersubstantiallyparallelandspaced rela} i an or e h raqn's ointe r mafiersw t h was at am mgether by a tie-beam or channel-ii-preferably atpoints approximately two-fifths of the distance from the ends of theswitch points to the heels thereof. The ends of this channel l aresecured to the switch points through the medium of angle brackets orswitch brackets l6 which are bolted to the switch points by bolts l1 andare bolted to the channel I5 by bolts l8. These bolts l1 preferably passthrough the switch bracket It, the webs 3 and 2 as well as through there-enforcing bars 3 -3 and 2 2 associated. with the switch points 3 and2 respectively, (see Fig. 3). This may constitute an insulatedconnection as conventionally illustrated by the insulation 2|.

Near the middle of the tie-beam or channel IS a U-shaped saddle 2!] ispreferably secured to the adjacent ties as by lag screws l9. Thischannel I5 is so secured to the switch points that it will liesubstantially mid-way between two adjacent railway ties l3 and I4usually constructed of hard wood, so that the saddle 23 having the lowerportion'of U-shape projects between these adjacent ties and below thetop of these ties, as shown in Fig. 4., and so that this saddle mayaccommodate the inverted channel or tie-beam I5 (see Fig. 4) which mayalso project below the top ofvthese ties.

-Into the saddle 29 is preferably firmly secured, as by welding, aU-shaped roller fork 22 into which is pivotally mounted the roller 23 bya bearing pin 24. This bearing pin is held in position by a lock screw25. In order to keep the roller 23 well lubricated the bearing pin 24 isdrilled endwise and radially as shown at 2'! to afford the passage ofcup grease or oil through the lubricating pipe 28. 28 is preferablyprovided with a grease cup or oil cup 29 which is accessible from abovethe ties l3 and [4 through the opening 30 contained in the saddle 20,all as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. To the inside of theinverted channel I5 is secured a re-enforcing or track bar 32 which mayrest and ride upon the roller 23. In other words, instead of employing aroller operating over a track for providing an antifrictional supportfor the switch points the track 32 rides over a fixed but pivoted roller23, all as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This latter construction isresorted to so that dirt will not readily collect on the track 32 withwhich the roller 23 makes contact. In order to make the switch points 2and 3 properly float at a slightly higher elevation than when in contactwith the riser plates I2 adjustment hasbeen provided for at the pointwhere the switch brackets [6 are connected to the inverted channel I5.This adjustment is preferably afforded through the medium of spacingwashers or shims 34, which may be inserted in number to an extent togive the proper spacing between the switch bracket [3 and the invertedchannel IE to cause proper floating of the switch points 2 and 3slightly above the riser plates 12. It has been found in practicing thepresent invention that the sum of the distances between the switchpoints 2 and 3 and their respective riser-plates should be about onefourth of an inch. The roller 23 is preferably supported at themid-point between fixed rails l and 4 so that at all times duringmovement of the switch points from one extreme position to the otherthese switch points 2 and 3 substantially counter-balance each other andcause very little friction between these switch points and the riserplates I2 over which they are supported. The extent of balance will ofcourse vary slightly as the positions of the switch points vary.

This lubricating pipe This balancing of one switch point against theother is desirable because in this manner it is possible to have slightup and down movement of either switch point even though the switchpoints as a whole are firmly non-resiliently supported near themid-point by rigid structure including a roller. Slight up and downmovement of the switch points 2 and 3, one at a time, is necessarybecause during the movement of a train over the track switch atremendous additional weight will come upon one of the switch points-butnot upon the other. Since the switch points, when no train is present,substantially counter-balance each other they are practically entirelysupported by the roller 23. It is readily seen that the movement of atrain over one of the switch points will cause it to be depressed to apoint where it firmly rests upon the riser plate l2, whereas the otherswitch point, which is not then supporting any portion of a train, isfree to rise to approximately the same extent to a position ready toagain counterbalance said one switch point as soon as the train haspassed beyond the switch. After the train has passed the switch pointswill return to their original balanced position where they aresubstantially entirely supported by the roller bearing.

Applicants proposed construction of anti-fric tional switch pointsupporting means is thus rigid in nature and in spite ofits rigid andsturdy construction enables the switch points to be moved up and down,one at a time, in a rather free and yieldable manner. This yielding isnot due to any spring construction of the roller bearing itself but isdue to the fact that even though the two switch points are firmlysecured together by a tie-beam, which tie-beam is supported on a rollernear its mid-point so that the weight of one switch point substantiallycounterbalances the weight of the other switch point, there issufficient yielding to allow one point to move up while the other movesdown. From this consideration it is also readily understood that duringmovement of the switch points from one extreme position to the othersubstantially the entire weight of both of the switch points rests uponthe roller 23 which affords a substantially frictionless support formovement of theswitch points, but that upon the movement of the trainover the switch a points, which train will always depress only one ofthe two switch points, enables the other switch point to rise higher asthe switch point then occupied by a train is depressed against itsassociated riser plates, and this is accomplished without materiallyincreasing the forces exerted upon the roller 23.

Referring to Fig. 5, which views the rails 5, 3 and I in an upwardlydirection as viewed in Fig. 1, and with the switch points assuming theopposite position from that shown in Fig. 1, as is also the case in Fig.3, it will be seen that the switch rail 3is gradually raised as observedat successive points toward the point of this switch rail "3. Were itnot for the chamfering of'the switch rail as shown at 35 in Fig. 5 thepointof the switch rail 3 would extend above the main rail I.. With thischamfering extending back only a short distance this rail 3, at thepoint where the'crosssection of Fig. 3 is taken, does actually extendThis in itself is not new switch. In applicants construction the switchrails do, howevenextend slightly higher'above the fixed rails than inswitches where the present invention is not used because the roller 23lifts both switch points slightly above their operative position so thatone may counterbalance, the other, so that if a train depresses oneswitch point the other will be lifted.

Having thus shown and described one rather specific embodiment ofapplicants invention it is desired to be understood that variouschanges, modifications andadditions may be made to the specificconstruction illustrated so longas these i constituting a part of theother converging double-rail track which converging double-rail tracksconverge into a departing double-rail track and all supported on saidties, said switch points lying between the two rails of said departingdouble-rail track and engaging the rails of said departing double-railtrack one at a time; and

switch point supporting means comprising a tiebar of inverted U-shapedcross-sectional configuration securing said switch points rigidly toeach other in relatively fixed spaced relation, said supporting meansincluding means for adjustably securing said tie-bar to saidswitchfpoints, a rigid bracket supported by two adjacent ties at a pointsubstantially midway between the rails of said departing double-railtrack, a roller,

means rigidly fixed to said bracket for pivotally supporting said rolleron said bracket and between said adjacent ties with its axissubstantially at right angles to said tie-bar and with its rollingsurface living within and engaging the bottom of the U of said tie-barfor supporting said tiebar for rolling endwise movement at a fixeddistance" above the bottom of said ties and in turn supporting saidswitch points for sidewise movement,

' whereby said switch points are adjustably sup,-

ported substantially Wholly by said roller and whereby said invertedU-shaped tie-bar also constitutes a shelter for said roller. 7

RALPH Q HEWES.

